The present invention relates to mounting potentiometers, and, in particular, it relates to using an adapter to mount a miniature potentiometer onto a faceplate of a hearing aid.
Great efforts have been made to reduce the size of hearing aids. A primary component of a hearing aid is a potentiometer that is used to control volume. The volume control potentiometer has to be easily accessible to the user. For easy access, the volume control potentiometer is mounted on a faceplate of the hearing aid. In order for the potentiometer to be mounted on the faceplate, the potentiometer has to be quite small, for example, having a diameter of 5/32 inch.
The small size of such potentiometers poses problems in terms of cost and manufacturing efficiency in mounting such potentiometers in hearing aids. Presently, such potentiometers are being adhesively secured within an aperture provided in the faceplate of a hearing aid. Although a satisfactory mount results, adhesive must be given time to cure to a point in which the adhesive starts to hold the potentiometer within the aperture. Prior to such point in time, the mounted potentiometer must be handled carefully in order to avoid dislocation of the potentiometer prior to cure.
An example of a potentiometer mounting mechanism and a method of mounting a potentiometer onto a faceplate is described in McDonald U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,833. The McDonald patent describes a potentiometer mounting mechanism and a method for mounting a potentiometer onto a faceplate which includes a metallic band circumferentially surrounding a portion of the housing of the potentiometer. The band includes a member for engaging a surface of an aperture in the faceplate such that the housing is secured within the aperture. A stop means is also provided that engages a shoulder of the faceplate which positions the potentiometer within the aperture a selected distance such that the knob of the potentiometer extends beyond a front surface of the faceplate.